This invention relates to shoes, and more particularly to lacing systems for shoes. Shoe laces have been used for many years, laced through a plurality of eyelets on opposing sides of an expansion opening, for the purpose of drawing shoes tightly about the foot of a wearer. However, the process of tightening and tying the lacing elements on shoes requires a threshold level of knowledge, as well as a threshold level of physical dexterity.
While the required threshold levels of knowledge and dexterity are not especially high, such requirements do present difficulties for those who are physically challenged such as young children, the physically handicapped and some elderly, and for those who are mentally challenged such as the mentally handicapped and young children.
While a number of alternative structures have been used, and are being used, in place of lacings, large numbers of shoes are still made with lacing eyelets, and lacings.
There are now available a variety of structures of eyelets, made from a variety of materials. There are available a number of arrangements of eyelets about the expansion opening. Lacings can be obtained in a variety of structures and materials. Lacings can be fixed length, or resiliently expansible.
In light of the ongoing consumer acceptance of lacings as closure devices for shoes, there is a need for improvements in use of lacings which facilitate use of lacings by those who are mentally or physically challenged with respect to use of lacings.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a lacing kit which includes at least one lacing, defining first and second lacing elements, and a one-way clasp, wherein the lacing elements are passed through the clasp, with the clasp readily passing the lacing elements for tightening the lacing elements on the shoe, and holding the lacing elements tight on the shoe until release of the tightening is desired.
It is another object to provide such lacing kit wherein first and second apertures on the clasp operate as gripping structure, gripping and holding the lacing elements.
It is still another object to provide gripping structure which operates as a one-way mechanical closure on the clasp, optionally in combination with closing and opening of a cover on the clasp, and wherein the cover can optionally open and close about a hinge, and wherein the cover and a receptacle can latch to each other in the closed position, with opening of the cover operating to release the lacing elements from the gripping structure.
Still another object is to provide a clasp having a receptacle, and a cover which is separate and distinct from the receptacle, and which is separable from the receptacle for alternating closing of the clasp, and opening of the clasp for access to the receptacle.
Still another object is to provide lacing exit apertures on opposing sides of the clasp, optionally to provide clasp structure wherein the lacing elements pass through the clasp along first and second different paths, optionally wherein the paths are mirror-image paths.
Yet another object is to provide a mechanical holding device adapted for attachment to at least one of the lacing elements, for blocking passage of the respective lacing element through an eyelet of the shoe.
Still other objects are to provide shoes having lacing systems of the invention installed thereon, wherein each of the lacing elements is anchored to the shoe body, and the lacing elements pass through the clasp to define lacing loops emergent from the clasp.
Still another object is to provide methods of handling lacing operations on a shoe by anchoring lacing ends to the shoe body, pass lacing loops through a one-way clasp, and tighten the lacing elements, with the clasp holding the lacing elements tight until such time as release of the lacing elements is desired.